Merchandise display unit



Nov. 12, 1963 E. J. NOWICKI MERCHANDISE DISPLAY UNIT Filed Sept. 25. 1961 INVENTOR. EDWIN J. NOWICKI IIIIIIII? ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,110,531 MERCHANDKSE DISPLAY UNIT Edwin J. Nowicki, Bronson, Mielr, assignor to L. A. Darling Company, Bronson, Misha, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 140,381 3 Claims. (Cl. 31214t).3)

This invention relates to amerchandise display unit, and, more particularly, to such a unit which can be used as a module, and which includes an improved track member for carrying sliding doors.

Various merchandise display units have heretofore been suggested, usually for the display of merchandise offered for sale at retail. Such units have usually included countertops, and, sometimes, storage compartments therebelow. The units which have included such storage compartments have also, in at least some instances, included sliding or other doors to hide the contents of the compartments from view. So far as is known, however, in all such units which have heretofore been suggested, the installation of doors, whether of the sliding or another type, has been a time consuming, and, therefore, costly part of the fabrication. 1

The instant invention is based upon the discovery 0 new upper and lower track members for supporting slid ing doors, and of a display unit incorporating such track members. By virtue of the novel cooperation between each of the track members and other elements of the unit, fabrication is simple and expeditious, and correspondingly inexpensive, but also structurally sound.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved display unit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide animproved display unit comprising new track members for supporting sliding doors.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved display unit wherein improved track members for supporting sliding doors cooperate in a novel manner with other elements of the structure.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide improved track members for supporting sliding doors in a display unit.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description which follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a plurality of units according to the invention arranged so that each constitutes a module in an assembly that might be used for the display of merchandise.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally along the plane 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, and, in particular, to FIG. '1, six display units according to the invention are designated generally by the reference numeral 10. Each of the units comprises counters 11 which rest on an upper rectangular frame portion 12. A leg member 13 is welded or otherwise attached to each corner of each of the frames 12, and lower frame members 14 and 15 are welded or otherwise attached between adjacent ones of the legs 13, and extend substantially parallel to the frame portions 12. Each of the units 10 also includes uprights '16 which are suitably attached to frame members (not shown) beneath the counters 11. The uprights 16 can be adapted to receive and support brackets in any suitable manner, so that shelves can be provided as required above the counters 11. Sliding doors 17 and 1.8 are provided for closing of the space between the upper frame portions 12 and the lower frame members 14, and panels 19, which can be attached in any suitable manner as by welding, by means of fingers which engage suitable slots, or the like, are provided to close the port-ion of the units 10 between the upper frame portions 12 and the lower frame members 15.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the forward member of the frame portion 12 has a forwardly disposed and upwardly extending leg 20 and a leg 21 which extends horizontally and rearwardly from the leg 20. An upper sliding door guide member indicated generally at 22 has a horizontally disposed, generally U-shaped body portion 23, downwardly extending arm members 24, 2.5 and 26 which are integral with a lower leg 27 of the body portion 23, and an upwardly extending tip member 28 which is integral with a second leg 29 of the body portion 23. The arm 21 of the forward member of the frame portion 12 is disposed within, and substantially fills the open interior of the body portion 23. The upwardly extending tip member 28 of the guide member 22 is wedged between the upwardly extending leg 20 of the forward member of the frame portion 12 and a vertical front portion 30 of the counter 11. As a consequence of this wedging action, the member 22, when in its assembled relationship with the other elements of the structure, is locked in posit-ion without the use of screws or the like fastening means. A lower sliding door guide member indicated generally at 31 has an angle body portion 32 made up of a vertically extending leg 33 and a leg 34 which extends horizontally and rearwardly from the leg 33-. Upwardly extending arm members 35, 36 and 37 are integral with the leg 34. A horizontally extending tip member 38 is integral with the lower end of the leg 33. The rearwardly extending tip member 38 of the guide member 31 is wedged between the bottom of a lower counter 39 and a horizontally extending leg 40 of the lower frame member 14. The vertically extending leg 33 of the guide member 31 is wedged between a vertical front portion 41 of the lower counter 39 and a leg 42 of the lower frame member .14 which is integral with, and extends upwardly from the forward extremity of, the horizontal leg 40 thereof. The horizontally extending leg 34 of the guide member 31 rests upon the upper surface of the lower counter 39. As a consequence, the guide member 31, when in its assembled relationship with the other elements of the structure, is locked in position without the use of screws or the like fastening means. The rear extremity of the lower counter 39 is supported, by a frame member (not illustrated) similar to the member 14, to maintain the forward portion thereof and the guide member 31 in the positions shown.

It will be noted that the arm members 24-26 of the guide member 22 are all vertically extending and generally parallel, being spaced to provide pockets to receive the upper edges of the doors v17 and '13. Similarly, the arms 35-37 of the guide member 3 1 are vertically extending and generally parallel, as well as spaced to provide pockets to receive the lower edges of the doors 17 and 18. The pocket between the arms 35 and 36 is vertically aligned with the pocket between the arms 24 and 25, and the pocket between the arms 36 and 37 is vertically aligned with the pocket between the arms 25 and 26.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, flanged supports 43 and 44 are welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the undersides of the counters 11 and 39 to provide further support.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made from the specific details set forth herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a merchandise display unit, an upper frame member having a front vertical leg and a rearwardly extending horizontal leg fixed to the bottom of said vertical leg, a top counter positioned over said rearwardly extending leg behind said front vertical leg, resilient track means having a horizontal U-shaped body including generally parallel top and bottom side portions, said top side portion being positioned above said horizontal leg of said frame and said bottom portion being positioned beneath said horizontal leg, said top counter resting on said top side portion of said resilient track means to hold said track means in place, said bottom side portion or" said resilient track means having at least two downwardly extending generally parallel longitudinally extending arms, and a door member having a top edge slidably positioned between said downwardly extending generally parallel arms.

2. In a merchandise display unit, a lower frame member having a front vertical leg and a rearwardly extending horizontal leg fixed to the bottom of said vertical leg, at lower counter positioned over said rearwardly extending leg behind said vertical leg, resilient track means having a horizontal U-shaped body including generally parallel top and bottom side portions, said top side portion being positioned above said counter and said bottom side portion being positioned between said counter and said horizontal leg of said frame member, said counter resting on said bottom side portion to hold said track means in place, said top side portion having at least two upwardly extending generally parallel longitudinally extending arms, and a door member having a bottom edge slidably positioned between said upwardly extending generally parallel arms.

3. In a merchandise display unit, an upper frame member having a front vertical leg and a rearwardly extending horizontal leg fixed to the bottom of said vertical leg, a top counter positioned over said rearwardly extending leg behind said front vertical leg, a lower frame member having a front vertical leg and a rearwardly extending horizontal leg fixed to the bottom of said vertical leg, a lower counter positioned over said rearwardly extending leg behind said vertical leg, upper resilient track means having a horizontal U-shaped body including generally parallel top and bottom side portions, said top side portion being positioned above said horizontal leg of said upper frame member and said bottom portion being positioned beneath said horizontal leg of said upper frame member, said top counter resting on said top side portion of said upper resilient track means to hold said track means in place, said bottom side portion of said upper track means having at least two downwardly extending generally parallel longitudinally extending arms, lower resilient track means having a horizontal U-shaped body including generally parallel top and bottom side portions, said top side portion being positioned above said lower counter and said bottom side portion of said lower track means being positioned between said lower counter and said horizontal leg of said lower frame member, said lower counter resting on said bottom side portion of said lower track means to hold said track means in place, said top side portion of said lower track means having at least two upwardly extending generally parallel longitudinally extending arms, and a door member having its bottom edge slidably positioned between said arms of said lower resilient track means and its upper edge slidably positioned between said arms of said upper resilient track means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 584,584 Ganter June 15, 1897 6l5,788 Biele Dec. 13, 1898 655,952 Been-ling Aug. 14, 1900 1,161,900 Smith Nov. 30, 1915 2,580,029 Krauss Dec. 25, 1951 2,765,886 Tedaldi Oct. 9, 1956 2,826,282 Goldberg Mar. 11, 1958 2,910,740 Greenman Nov. 3, 1959 

3. IN A MERCHANDISE DISPLAY UNIT, AN UPPER FRAME MEMBER HAVING A FRONT VERTICAL LEG AND A REARWARDLY EXTENDING HORIZONTAL LEG FIXED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID VERTICAL LEG, A TOP COUNTER POSITIONED OVER SAID REARWARDLY EXTENDING LEG BEHIND SAID FRONT VERTICAL LEG, A LOWER FRAME MEMBER HAVING A FRONT VERTICAL LEG AND A REARWARDLY EXTENDING HORIZONTAL LEG FIXED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID VERTICAL LEG, A LOWER COUNTER POSITIONED OVER SAID REARWARDLY EXTENDING LEG BEHIND SAID VERTICAL LEG, UPPER RESILIENT TRACK MEANS HAVING A HORIZONTAL U-SHAPED BODY INCLUDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM SIDE PORTIONS, SAID TOP SIDE PORTION BEING POSITIONED ABOVE SAID HORIZONTAL LEG OF SAID UPPER FRAME MEMBER AND SAID BOTTOM PORTION BEING POSITIONED BENEATH SAID HORIZONTAL LEG OF SAID UPPER FRAME MEMBER, SAID TOP COUNTER RESTING ON SAID TOP SIDE PORTION OF SAID UPPER RESILIENT TRACK MEANS TO HOLD SAID TRACK MEANS IN PLACE, SAID BOTTOM SIDE PORTION OF SAID UPPER TRACK MEANS HAVING AT LEAST TWO DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ARMS, LOWER RESILIENT TRACK MEANS HAVING A HORIZONTAL U-SHAPED BODY INCLUDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM SIDE PORTIONS, SAID TOP SIDE PORTION BEING POSITIONED ABOVE SAID LOWER COUNTER AND SAID 